Interviewing

Have an upcoming interview? Congratulations! Now, how best to prepare?

Employers evaluate candidates in three areas: Competencies, Interest, and Fit. Employers want to know: Can you do the job? Do you want to do the job? Will you be a good match for the organization? An interview is a time for you to highlight your strengths and skills that will help you add value in a particular role. It's a chance to show your enthusiasm and motivation for wanting to work with the organization. And, it's an opportunity for you and the employer to determine if your values, goals, expectations, and work style will be a good fit.

Interview Preparation

Use the Applications & Interviews Workbook to outline your competencies and fit for a specific position and draw connections between your values, interests, strengths, skills and goals, and the employer's values, mission, business needs, culture, and goals. You can also work through the sample behavioral interview questions to practice using the S.T.A.R. technique.

Interview Practice

Schedule a Mock Interview

Sign up for a mock interview with a trained, undergraduate Peer Advisor through our online calendar. This service is for Bachelor of Science students in the College of Engineering only. Please fill out the Mock Interview Preparation Form and bring it to your appointment, along with a copy of your resume.

10 Good Minutes for Engineers Podcast

Listen to 10-minute interviews with employers at leading organizations (e.g. Sensata Technologies; Nokia; EY; Accenture; mongoDB) as they share skills and qualities they seek in potential candidates, "red flags" in interviews, and strategies for answering tough questions.

Optimal Interview

Record answers to typical interview questions, and watch the videos back to understand how an employer may view not only your responses, but your body language and communication style.

Instructions for using Optimal Interview (part of Optimal Resume)1. Create an account with Optimal Resume and log in2. Select "Create New Interview"3. Name the Interview (this is for your record only, so name it whatever you'd like)4. Select Interview Type (e.g. Basic, Technical, Behavioral, Consulting, etc.)5. Select Format (video recommended)6. Scroll down and select "Continue Interview"7. Click on the first video to watch the interviewer ask the question8. Click on "record answer" to record your response9. Click on the third video to hear an explanation of the interview question

Interview Etiquette

After your interview, you will want to write a thank you note to each of your interviewers, so don't forget to ask for their contact information! A few tips on writing effective thank you notes:

Compose and send your thank you note as soon as possible, since the conversations will still be fresh in your memory.

Be formal and professional in your language (e.g. "Dear Ms. Jones," not "Hey Sarah").

Keep the message short.

Reiterate your interest in the position/organization.

Make reference to at least one thing you discussed in the interview that strengthened your interest in the position or organization.

If there was something you mentioned in the interview that didn't come across well, feel free to mention/clarify in your note.

If you have any additional questions, include them in your thank you note.

Reserve an Interview Room

Have an upcoming web or phone interview and need a quiet space? Reserve a room in the Engineering Career Center. We attempt to have at least one room available when classes are in session. During peak recruiting times, however, this is not always possible. Please be sure to make your reservation as soon as you are aware of your need.